Published 1:00 am, Friday, July 29, 2005

Members of Pennsylvania's most unlikely of musical success stories - the Bloodhound Gang - don't take themselves too seriously. But with platinum and gold albums to their credit, plus such unforgettable hits as "The Bad Touch," they've made an undeniable mark on fans with twisted senses of humor from countries across the globe.

Not exactly the most prolific of songwriters - their forthcoming album, "Hefty Fine," will be their first in five years - the band makes up for its lack of output with some of the most amusing songs you'll ever hear. And primary lyricist-vocalist
Jimmy Pop
has an imagination that's rivaled by Eminem alone.

Who else comes up with a lead single called "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo," using NATO's worldwide alphabet to conjure up thoughts of a sexual nature? Who else names a song after
Ralph Wiggum
, the dumb kid from "The Simpsons?" And who else writes a song poking fun about their home state - "Pennsylvania" - and then starts an online campaign to make it the new state song?

The Bloodhound Gang will headline Aug. 4 at the
Webster Theater
in Hartford.

"Probably the most important thing about Pennsylvania for me is everybody knows Philadelphia and a lot of people know Pittsburgh, but what they don't know is the entire middle of the state might as well be Oklahoma," guitarist
Lupus Thunder
said in a July 8 interview from his home in Pennsylvania. "No one knows about it. It's like this weird backwater world that you wouldn't think existed in an East Coast state.

"The song just kind of sums up Pennsylvania," he added. "We're the armpit of America. Everything bad happens here. Everybody in Pennsylvania is just kind of like a half-ass loser. So we just figured we'd poke fun at ourselves about it."

How about "Hefty Fine," the title of the Bloodhound Gang's new album, due out Sept. 20 on
Geffen Records
?

"The album name was originally going to be 'Heavy Flow,' " Lupus said. "It was just something out of Jim's twisted head. Then he found out it was the name of a Moby song, so we decided that we didn't want to be associated with Moby in any way, shape or form.

"So I had sent (Jim) an e-mail (saying) if he ever screwed me over, he had to pay me a million dollar fine," Lupus added. "And I used the word 'now that's a hefty fine.' And it just clicked in his head and he's like, 'Hefty fine? Hold on a minute.' And he also quickly turned it into meaning all the fat girls that anybody's ever had sex with. You know, that's a hefty fine."

Born Aug. 8, 1972, Lupus - whose real name is Matt Stigliano - grew up around Lancaster, Pa., and spent his middle school and high school years in Norristown, Pa. His father and stepmother are computer programmers; his mother has worked as a waitress. Lupus has a brother and three sisters.

Inspired by 1980s thrash metal - Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer among it - he started playing guitar at age 17. Early on, he promoted all-ages punk rock shows at Philadelphia's
Group Motion
club. He invited Bloodhound Gang to split bills with his band at the time,
Uncle Otto
's Truck.

Back then, the Bloodhound Gang was more of an old-school rap group in the style of the
Beastie Boys
- only much funnier. Members included Jimmy Pop, Daddy Long Legs, Foof and
Bubba K. Love
. Three weeks into his sophomore year of college, Lupus could no longer afford books and quit.

"It actually worked out for me because had I not quit I probably wouldn't have moved back to the area and not started hanging out with the Bloodhound Gang," Lupus said. "And God knows what I'd be doing now - selling drugs on the corner or something."

Instead, Lupus joined the Bloodhound Gang around 1994.

"I was the DJ back then, but the funny thing that for years we all had a big laugh about is I don't know how to DJ and I never did in my life," he said. "But I was the pretend DJ because everything was on ADATs (cassettes that record digital audio). We usually don't tell people that, but I figure why not come clean with it now because I was a phony."

In 1995, the Bloodhound Gang released their "Use Your Fingers" LP on Columbia Records and shot a video for the lead single, "Mama Say." With the exception of a few songs - including "You're Pretty When I'm Drunk" and "She Ain't Got No Legs" - it stuck to the rap format. Lupus contributed backup shouts to provide emphasis on certain lyrics.

Soon, though, Daddy Long Legs left to form Wolfpac. Meanwhile, Jimmy Pop and Lupus recruited a new lineup that included bassist
Evil Jared Hasselhoff
, DJ Q-Ball and drummer
Spanky G.

For their 1996 album, "One Fierce Beer Coaster," the group moved away from old-school rap to become, more or less, an alternative rock band.

With Lupus on guitar, the band scored a Modern Rock hit with "Fire Water Burn." Finally, Lupus was able to quit his job at Fingers, Wings and Other Things, a chicken restaurant.

"When radio started playing 'Fire Water Burn' ... Jim called me and it was in the middle of the busiest night," Lupus said. "Everybody's screaming at me. I'm covered in chicken blood and hot sauce. And he called me and he just said, 'Dude, things are gonna change soon. Don't quit yet, but don't worry. Everything's gonna get better.' And then he hung up on me."

Though he was a bit confused, Lupus believed what Jimmy Pop told him and, soon enough, things changed for the better.

The Bloodhound Gang's next album, "Hooray For Boobies," came out in 2000 and featured the Top 10 hit "The Bad Touch." The band released several other singles overseas and became bona fide international stars. By this time, Willie The New Guy had taken over on drums.

Now, with "Hefty Fine" due out in just over seven weeks, the band will attempt to reclaim its place in the spotlight.

"It's weird for us because we just always made records what we wanted to hear," Lupus said. "We've never tried to pressure ourselves, like, 'Oh, people are gonna say this about this song or that about this song.' We just let it happen. And hopefully people will love it.

"I'm pretty nervous right now about this record," he added. "I think everything's gonna be fine. But you know there's always that chance that everybody will just be like, 'These guys are idiots, I'm tired of them, I don't like them anymore. I can download their stuff for free. Why should I buy their record.' And before you know it, you're out of a job. I guess there is a bit of shakiness on my part, like, 'Oh, please, dear God, let this work.' Because if it doesn't, it'll (be bad). I'm really used to doing it now."

Doors open at 7 p.m. The venue is at 31 Webster St. Tickets are $15. Call (800) 477-6849.